On Feb 28, 1972, during then United States President Richard Nixon's visit to China, the two governments signed in Shanghai the first of three joint communiques that culminated in the normalization of China-US diplomatic relations.

Bilateral ties have had their ups and downs since then, but over the past few years they have seemed to be on a continuous downward spiral. Yet given the fanfare with which that historic moment has been celebrated by China, there can be no doubt that decision-makers in Beijing are convinced of the importance of sustaining constructive engagement with Washington. But as ever, it takes two to tango. Compared with its proclaimed willingness to cooperate wherever possible, Washington is obviously more preoccupied with its perception of the "threat" China constitutes.

On Feb 26, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson conducted a transit through the Taiwan Straits. Although the US Navy 7th Fleet claimed it was a "routine" passage, it was broadly understood as a reminder of the US commitment to Taiwan's security and a "warning" to deter any mainland attempt to take advantage of the Ukraine crisis to realize the island's reunification with the motherland by force.

In a more provocative move, since it breaks a longstanding tacit agreement between Washington and Beijing, the Joe Biden administration has sent a delegation of former US defense officials, led by Mike Mullen, former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Taiwan to "reaffirm" that commitment. The five-person delegation arrived on Tuesday for a two-day visit.

On Wednesday, former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo also arrived in Taipei with 11 others, conveying a similar message. While Pompeo may be using his visit as an early launchpad for a shot at the White House, the Biden-sent team reveals the present administration's efforts to both showcase toughness against the mainland and avoid thoroughly destroying the groundwork for any collaboration.

Such tightrope walking always risks failing to do either. "If the United States is trying to threaten and pressure China with this then we need to tell them that in the face of the Great Wall of steel forged by 1.4 billion Chinese people, any military deterrence is but scrap metal," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a notably forthright statement.

If the policymakers in Washington truly want to prevent a conflict between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, instead of keeping alive their vain hope that with US support they will be able to realize their dream, they should work harder to persuade the secessionists on the island to forsake their illusions.

Nixon's visit to China 50 years ago showed that stepping outside the box of conventional thinking was not only possible but also beneficial for the two countries. That is something that Washington needs to find the courage to do again.